Communication system, information storage device, management device, and terminal device

Abstract

A communication system, information storage device, management device, and terminal device which enable information transmission which takes into consideration the circumstances on the receiving side, are provided. An external equipment 9 transmits to a commanding device 4 service information, indicating the type of service which it itself provides and the service execution priority or the service state. The commanding device 4 stores the received service information, and transmits the service information to an image capture device 1 . The image capture device 1 selects the external equipment 9 as the transmission destination for content information based on the received service information, and transmits the content information.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A communication system, comprising:
 a plurality of terminal devices which processes received content information according to service details, the plurality of terminal devices being connected to a private network, a management device which is connected to the private network, the managing device managing service information indicating a type of the service provided by each of the terminal devices, an execution priority of the service and a state of the service, and 
 an information storage device which retains the content information, wherein 
 the terminal device comprises: 
 a first storage portion which stores the service information, and 
 a first transmission portion which transmits the service information to the management device; 
 the management device comprises: 
 a first reception portion which receives the service information from the terminal device, 
 a second storage portion which stores the service information received by the first reception portion, and 
 a second transmission portion which transmits the service information stored by the second storage portion to the information storage device via the Internet; and 
 the information storage device comprises: 
 a third storage portion which stores the content information, 
 a second reception portion which receives the service information from the management device via the Internet, 
 a selection portion which selects the terminal device as the transmission destination for the content information based on the service information, and 
 a third transmission portion which transmits the content information to the terminal device selected by the selection portion via the Internet. 
 
     
     
       2. The communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the terminal device further comprises a first control portion which, when a change in the service information has occurred, updates the service information stored in the first storage portion, and controls the first transmission portion so as to transmit the updated service information to the management device; and wherein 
 the management device further comprises a second control portion which controls the first reception portion so as to receive the updated service information from the terminal device, and based on the received updated service information, updates the service information stored by the second storage device. 
 
     
     
       3. The communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the third storage portion of the information storage device stores the content information being generated by the information storage device. 
 
     
     
       4. The communication system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the plurality of terminal device comprises a terminal device in which a type of a processing is different from other terminal devices. 
 
     
     
       5. An information storage device, comprising:
 a third storage portion, which stores content information; 
 a second reception portion, which receives service information from a management device being connected to a private network via the Internet and manages the service information indicating a type of service provided by each of a plurality of terminal device which processes content information, an execution priority of the service and a state of the service according to service details, the plurality of terminal devices being connected to the private network; 
 a selection portion, which selects the terminal device to be the transmission destination of the content information, based on the service information; and 
 a third transmission portion, which transmits the content information to the terminal device selected by the selection portion via the Internet, wherein 
 one of the terminal device, which processes received content information according to service details, comprises: 
 a first storage portion, which stores service information indicating a type of the service, a execution priority of the service and a state of the service; and 
 a first transmission portion, which transmits the service information to the management device, which selects the terminal device based on the service information, and which manages the service information for transmission to the information storage device which transmits the content information it retains via the Internet. 
 
     
     
       6. The information storage device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the third storage portion stores the content information being generated by the information storage device. 
 
     
     
       7. The information storage device according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the plurality of terminal devices comprises a terminal device in which a type of a processing is different from others. 
 
     
     
       8. The terminal device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the information storage device retains the content information being generated by the information storage device. 
 
     
     
       9. The terminal device according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the management device receives the service information from each of the plurality of terminal device. 
 
     
     
       10. A management device, comprising:
 a first reception portion, which receives, from a plurality of terminal devices, which possess received content information according to service details, the plurality of terminal devices being connected to a private network, service information indicating a type of service provided by the terminal device, an execution priority of the service and a state of the service; 
 a second storage portion, which stores the service information received by the reception portion; and 
 a second transmission portion, which transmits the service information stored by the storage portion to an information storage device, which retains the content information, and which transmits the content information to the terminal device selected based on the service information via the Internet, wherein 
 one of the terminal device, which processes received content information according to service details, comprises: 
 a first storage portion, which stores service information indicating a type of the service, a execution priority of the service and a state of the service; and 
 a first transmission portion, which transmits the service information to the management device, which selects the terminal device based on the service information, and which manages the service information for transmission to the information storage device which transmits the content information it retains via the Internet. 
 
     
     
       11. The management device according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the information storage device retains the content information being generated by the information storage device. 
 
     
     
       12. The management device according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the first reception portion that receives service information from each of the plurality of terminal device. 
 
     
     
       13. The terminal device according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the information storage device retains the content information being generated by the information storage device.